Taken (2002) – Charlie and Lisa

Leslie Bohem’s UFO epic continued with its sixth episode on 9 December, 2002. It opens with the aliens arriving in a ship to reclaim the crashed vehicle from the Roswell crash over a bridge with both the Crawfords and the Clarkes as witnesses, amongst others, military and civilian. The climax of the last episode. Eric…

Taken (2002) – Maintenance

Leslie Bohem continues the UFO narrative in the ‘Steven Spielberg presents’ mini-series, Taken. This episode marks the halfway point of the show, and first aired on 6 December, 2002. The narrative moves into the 1980s. Eric Crawford (Andy Powers) has cemented his role as the head of the government’s UFO program, based out at Groom…

The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) – Reginald Le Borg

Lon Chaney Jr. dons the bandages again in this short entry in the Universal Monsters collection. Kharis the Mummy (Chaney) is once again wandering New England, working to protect the body of his beloved Princess Ananka. It seems a new priest is on his way to America, Yousef Bey (John Carradine). He is supposed to…

Stir of Echoes (1999) – David Koepp

Stir of Echoes got lost in the theatres when it went up against the ghost story The Sixth Sense. Based on the novel by Richard Matheson and adapted by Koepp who settled into the director’s chair as well, the film lets Kevin Bacon just shine, and features some well-executed visuals including the hypnotism sequence featuring…

Starman (1987) – Fathers and Sons, and Starscape: Part 1

Three stories to go? Somehow we’re rushing towards the end of the series, and it seems to be gearing up to go out on a high note. Fathers and Sons is a wonderful episode, even if it still subscribes to the formula that moves us from week to week. Written by Syrie James this episode…

The Raven’s Revenge (2023) – Kevin Sands

This is it, the final adventure in The Blackthorn Key series by Canadian author Kevin Sands. Six books in, Sands has kept up a relentless pace, as Christopher, Tom and Sally confront dangers, mysteries and puzzles that place them in grave danger. And it’s more of this page-turning excitement in The Raven’s Revenge. Sands has…

The Traitor’s Blade (2021) – Kevin Sands

The fifth book in the highly enjoyable Blackthorn Key series, The Traitor’s Blade, is wonderfully engaging as the reader is reunited with Christopher, Tom, and Sally as they finally arrive home in London, following the events of the previous book. It’s now March 1666, and their lives are about to change again, as they find…

Call of the Wraith (2018) – Kevin Sands

Simon & Schuster Canada keeps the adventure coming with the fourth book in The Blackthorn Key series by Kevin Sands. You can collect them individually, or in a gorgeous six book hardcover collection. In book four picking up shortly after the previous story, Christopher wakes up, not knowing where he is, or more importantly, he…

Broadcast News (1987) – James L. Brooks

Holly Hunter is a treasure and she sparked in Broadcast News. She shines so wholly that she almost eclipses her co-stars Albert Brooks and William Hurt. James L. Brooks wrote and directed this Oscar-nominated film (seven of them, including best picture, actress, actor, supporting actor and didn’t take home one) that lets a love triangle…

Quantum Leap: The Wall (1994) – Ashley McConnell

Ashley McConnell turns in another Quantum Leap novel, and except for a quick moment when we are given another limbo moment for Sam between leaps it is a really powerful tale about domestic abuse, alcoholism and breaking the cycle. Sam leaps into Missy, a six-year-old girl (something that couldn’t have been pulled off believably in…